CANNES-DO SPIRIT: London councils head to MIPIM to pitch for sustainable investment March 13, 2023 London councillors are jetting off to the French Riviera in the search of sustainable investors willing to pump eco-friendly funds into the capital. A flurry of prominent London property figures are set to attend MIPIM, the enormous property conference which takes place in Cannes this week, in a bid to entice major foreign investors to [...]
Met Police short of 1,000 officers as force admits it faces an uphill battle to recruit quality candidates March 8, 2023 The Met Police is set to be short of more than 1,000 officers this year, the force has said, amid an ongoing crisis in public trust and confidence. Officer numbers will be down by around 1,060 less than the target strength of 34,490, the Met Police has told City Hall. It comes as new commissioner [...]
Almost all London councils set to raise taxes as funding situation becomes ‘unsustainable’ March 7, 2023 More than half of local councils in England are set to make cuts to services while raising council tax by the highest possible amount amid an “unsustainable” funding system. A fifth of London councils say budget cuts will be evident to the public and almost 95 per cent will raise residents’ council tax bills, the [...]
Sadiq Khan urges government to commit to making all public bodies a ‘safe haven for women’ March 6, 2023 Sadiq Khan is urging the government to back his call for a review of “women-friendly” workplace policies ahead of International Women’s Day. The mayor of London is calling for public bodies to commit to supporting female workers with domestic abuse, gynaecological pain, leadership development, and the menopause. He has written to work and pensions secretary [...]
Sadiq Khan criticised for ULEZ cameras for ‘pay-as-you-drive’ charge plans March 5, 2023 London mayor Sadiq Khan has been criticised over plans to use ULEZ cameras for a possible future ‘pay-as-you-drive’ road user charging scheme. Transport for London (TfL) is looking into replacing existing schemes such as the congestion charge and the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) with a “single, integrated road user” charge. Just 300 of the [...]
London must be given power to direct its economy to arrest historic productivity decline, study urges March 2, 2023 London must be given greater power to direct its economy by central government to arrest a historic productivity decline, a new report out today has urged. Handing the capital more sway over tax and spending decisions, peeling back onerous planning rules and boosting graduate migration would help London return to being an economic growth engine [...]
London to power UK economy away from recession and clinch best growth across the country February 27, 2023 London will power the UK economy out of recession and is poised to be the fastest growing area in the country over the coming years, new forecasts out today reveal. The capital’s economy is on track to expand 2.6 per cent each year between 2024 and 2026, pushing it to the top of the countrywide [...]
Ukraine war: Sunak, Starmer and Khan fall silent to mark year as King Charles praises Kyiv’s ‘remarkable courage’ February 24, 2023 A year of Ukraine’s extraordinary resistance to Vladimir Putin’s all-out assault that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced has been marked with a minute’s silence. Rishi Sunak was joined outside No 10 by wife Akshata Murthy, Kyiv’s ambassador to Britain Vadym Prystaiko and dozens of Ukrainian troops being trained by the [...]
Sadiq Khan refuses to ditch ULEZ expansion plan at London budget meeting February 23, 2023 Sadiq Khan has refused to ditch the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) today following a marathon five-hour meeting to agree London’s £19bn budget. London assembly members met today to agree the mayor’s plans for running the capital’s finances over the next year – including cash for the Met Police, TfL and firefighters. [...]
Tube strike to take place on 15 March after Aslef members voted in favour of industrial action February 22, 2023 London will grind to a halt on 15 March after tube workers voted in favour of strike action, as Sadiq Khan warned there are “no proposed changes to pensions”, at the heart of the dispute. Train drivers who are member of the uion Aslef voted to down tools for 24 hours next month with 99 [...]